An FC is known that comprises a housing with a fuel electrode, an air carbon platinized electrode, a fuel-electrolyte mixture consisting of a 6N solution of sulfuric acid and methanol, arranged therein (Japanese application No. 43-20727, class 57 AO, 1968).
A drawback of this FC is the presence of a corrosion-active acid electrolyte, which makes the construction of the FC more expensive because of the limited choice of structural materials and the use of noble metal catalysts.
Among the known FCs, the one most similar in respect to the combination of essential features and achieved technical result is the FC comprising a housing with a liquid catalytically active anode, an air catalytically active hydrophobic gas-diffusion cathode, a liquid alcohol-alkaline mixture filling the interior cavity of the housing and separating the anode and cathode, wherein a hydrophobic surface of the cathode faces air (RU patent No. 2044371C1, class H 01 M 8/08, 1995).
Drawbacks of this known FC are the instability of the electrical characteristics because of the direct contact between the cathode and the fuel and products of the reaction, which may cause poisoning of the cathode catalyst, and the use of an expensive catalyst of noble metals on the anode.